Pouring spout for cartons



Ap I4, 1953 M.`BQRD PoURING sPouT FOR cARToNs 2 SHEETS-SHEET l Filed Oct. 18, 1947 rtrlflllllllllilllif 2lal Patented Apr. 14, 1953 UNITED STATES" PATENT 'OF-FICE BOURING sPoUjr Fonv csn'roNs y Max`Bord,Yonkers,-,NiYL' y n Application octob'erds,1947,'seriaiNog7soss This invention relates to cartons and similar types ofcontainer which are used in the packaging of foodstuffs and other substances in powder, granular, flake and other forms which may be poured through a dispensing spout.

The principal object of this invention isthe provision of an improved dispensing spout construction in a carton of the character abovedescribedv which has marked advantages over conventional pouring spouts ,from a constructional point of view as well as from a utilitarianpoint of View, Whether the spout is in closed or open position. Among the advantages which are in-l herent in the improved spout forming the subject matter of this application, are the following:

a. The spout opens wider in the present construction than in the constructions heretofore known or patented. In conventional spout constructions the spout opens less than 90 with respect to its closed plane, whereas in the present invention the spout opens fully 90.

b. The spout under discussion is provided with an improved hinge connection to the carton proper which enables it to be opened a full 90 without any measurable tendency to spring back to closed position once it is released.

c. In the spout construction of the present invention there is an ample seal on all four sides of the spout with respect to the carton proper when the spout is in closed position. In conventional constructions a seal is provided at the hinged side and at the side opposite the hinged side, but no adequate seal is provided on the remaining two sides. When the spout herein described is closed, the contents of the carton are sealed against contamination caused by the introduction of foreign matten In present constructions the sides of the spout and more particularly of the spout cover are not supported by any of the flaps or any other portion of the carton. Hence, when the spout is lifted into open position and then pushed back into closed position, it very frequently happens that the spout and its cover are caused to sag somewhat in the middle and to fall slightly below the level of the adjacent flap edges. A space is thereby formed between the edges of the fia-ps on the one hand and the edges of the spout cover on the other hand and access is thereby provided to the contents of the carton by vermin and other contaminating elements. tion, however,A adequate support is provided on all sides ofy the spout cover and there is no possibility, therefore, that it may sag in the middle to provide an opening or passageway for vermin.

In the present construc- 1 claim. (c1. 229-17) they lie in a common plane.

2 These and other advantages are inherent in the present invention as will become obvious from an examination of the drawing in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention showing the pouring spout in closed position; f

Fig. 2 is' an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on the line 2-'2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view similar to that of Fig. 2 showing thepouringsp'out in open position;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary v'plar 1` view of a blank which mayl be used in makinga carton' suclu'las is shown in the rst four'gures of this drawing;

Fig. '6 is a View similar to that of Fig. 3 showing a second means and method of hingedly connecting the pouring spout to the body of the carton;

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of another preferred embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to that of Figs. 3 and 6, said view being a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a view substantially similar to that of Fig. 4, said View being a section on the line 9 9 of Fig. 7; and

Fig.l 10 is a view similar'to that of Fig. 5 showing the blank of which the embodiment shown in Figs. 7 to 9 inclusive may be made.

Referring now to the first five figures of the drawing, it will'be seen that the invention under discussion is applied to a` conventional folding box'or carton 20 which may be made in any con-1 ventional size and shape. and ofv any conventional material. The particular carton depicted in the drawing, see Fig. 5, is provided with two wide sides 2| and 22 and two narrow sides 23 and 24. When the box is set up, the narrowsides face each other in parallel planes and they are perpendicular to the wide sides 2| and 22 which also face each other in parallel planes. The ap 25 which adjoins side 24 overlaps a part of wide side 2| and is used for :mixing sides 2| and 24 to each other. Adhesive or any other conventional aixing or adhering means may be used. It will be noted in Fig. 5 that each of these four sides is provided with an adjoining ap of corresponding width: Flap 2 la. adjoins flap 2 I; flap 23a adjoins nap 23; flap 22a adjoins ap 22 and iiap 24a adjoins ilap 24. These flaps are folded over, when the box is set up, in the usual manner. Flaps 23a and 24a are folded over rst until Flap 21a is then folded over upon them and finally flap 22a is folded over upon flap 2|a.. The top ap, therefore, is ap 22a; the intermediate flap is 2|a, and the bottom aps are aps 23a and 24a, respectively.

The pouring spout 30 is cut out, for the most part, from ap 23a. Its stop members 3| are cut out, however, from aps 2|a and 22a, and its cover member 32 is cut out of ap 22a.

Reference to Fig. will show a pair of parallel dotted lines 34. These are folding lines which separate the oor 35 of the spout from its two side walls 31. Three additional parallel dotted lines 38 are shown, these lines being perpendicular to lines 34, and it will be apparent that these three parallel lines are also folding lines from which the fold 40 (see Fig. 3) may be formed. These fold lines 38 may be formed. by creasing or scoring the material to permit it to be folded or lapped at this point to act as a hinge without breaking. This fold is the hinge connection between the spout 30 and the rest of the box. It will also be noted that the stop members 3| aforementioned form part of the side walls 31. Floor 36 is provided with a cut-out 4| which cooperates with a staple 42 to provide a nail catch by which the spout may be swung out of the box into'open position. Flap 2|a will be seen to be provided with a cut-out 45 which serves as the window oropening through which the spout may be brought-into open position and through which theY contents of the box may be poured.

When the box is set up, as shown in the rst four figures of the drawing, the side walls 31 are folded on folding lines 34 until they are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the floorr 36. The stop members 3| remain in a common plane with the side walls. The cover member 32 becomes superimposed upon the floor member 36 and the staple 42 aforementioned is used to afiix said floor to said cover. Other conventional means of ai'lixing these two members to each other may also be used.

It will be noted that side walls 31 are provided with curved edges which are substantially equidistant at all points from the fulcrum of the spout, that is, from its hinged point. This enables the spout to move into and out of the box through opening 45. It will be noted in Fig. 3 that `the stop members 3| prevent the spout from opening beyond a predetermined point by reason ofY their engagement with flap 2m. At the predetermined point the oor 36 of the spout extends at an angle of approximately .90 to the flap 22a. In Figures 3, 5 and 8, it will be clear that the area of the side walls of the spout is in the shape of a qua-rter circle with the oor of the spout along one edge of this area and the stop elements along the free edge at right angles to the oor. It is also to be noted that the entire area of the stop element lies outside of this quarter circle so that the edge of the element 3| acting as a stop, will permit this spout to be opened to a full 90 from its closed position.

- It will be seen in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 that the cover tab 32 is larger than the cut-out 45 so that when the spout is brought into closed position, as shown in Fig. 2, the edges of ilap 2|a immediately surrounding three sides of the opening 45 serve as a stop for the three free side edges of the cover tab 32. closed position, the cover tab 32 is supported on its hinged side by flap 22a out of which it is cut, and it is supported on its remaining three sides by the flap 2 la.

In other words, when the spout is inv Among the important features of the invention thus far described are the following:

a. In view of the fact that the stop members 3| are offset from the fulcrum of the spout, the spout may be opened a full 90.

b. The fold 40 provides a very satisfactory hinge for the spout so that the spout may be swung into open and closed position as many times as may normally be necessary` to empty the contents of the container, without breaking off as a result of such use. There is so little strain on the fold connection between the spout and the box proper when the spout is opened a full 90, that it displays no tendency to swing back into closed or partly closed position immediately upon its release.

c. The overlapping side edges of cover tab 32, as shown especially in Fig. 4, all rest upon corresponding portions of ap 2Ia immediately surrounding the cut-out 45 in said flap. This provides'an excellent seal between the cover tab 32 and the box proper when the spout is in closed position, thereby preventing the entry or introduction of foreign substances into the box.

In Fig. 6 a diierent type of hinge construction is shown. In this figure the fold 40 is eliminated and floor member 60 of spout 6| bends over along a multiple folding line 62 which is more fully shown in connection with the embodiment disclosed in Figs. 7 to 10 inclusive of the drawing. What is said of thefold in the embodiment shown in Figs. 7 to 10 is equally true of the fold shown in Fig. 6.

Reference to Figs. 7 to l0 inclusive discloses another form of this invention. In this embodiment of the invention the carton l0 is provided with a spout which is located centrally of one of its sides. In the rst embodiment the spout was not located centrally of any one side. Carton 'l0 is provided with wide sides 1| and 12, respectively and with narrow sides 13 and 14. respectively, and narrow side 'I4 is provided with a flap 15. Connected to side 1| is a wide ap lla; connected to side 12 is a flap 12a; connected to side 13 is a flap 13a; and connected to side 14 is a ap 14a. Thus far carton i0 corresponds in every essential respect to carton 20. The spout 80, however, in the present embodiment is cut out of flap 12a and its cover tab 8| is cut out of flap lla. Spout is provided with stop portions 82 corresponding to the stop portions 3| of the rst embodiment. It is provided with side walls 83 which correspond to the side walls of the rst embodiment, and it is providedwith a floor portion 84 which corresponds to the floor portion of the first embodiment. As is the case with the iirst embodiment here, too, the coverl tab 8| is larger than the floor area of the spout proper. Hence, there is an overlapping as is clearly brought out in Fig. 9. y

When carton 70 is folded along its several fold lines and is set up as shown in Figs. 7 to 9 inclusive, the innermost flap is flap 12a. Resting upon said flap are the small side flaps 13a and 14a. And resting upon said side flaps is the large flap Ila. The oor 84 of the spout is aiiixed to the cover tab 8| in the mannerabove described, as for example, with a staple 42. It will be seenin Figs. 8 and 9 that the spout extends throughv the space between the two side flaps 73a and 14a, as well as through the opening formed in flap 1 la when the cover tab 8| is raised therefrom.- v

y At this point it should be stated that vflaps-'13al and 14a may befolded over beforethe other flaps;

are folded so that these two side aps mayfbe-4 come the bottommost or innermost flaps. Flap 12a. would then rest upon these two flaps and iiap 'I la would becomevthe top flap.

Referring back to the yconstruction where the two side flaps 12a and 14a are sandwiched-in between the two larger flaps 'Ha and 12a, it will be seen that the overlapping side edges of the cover tab 8l rest on the two small flaps 13a and 'Ma as well as, to a less marked extent, upon the large flap 12a. Thus it will be seen that the cover tab 8l is supported on all four sides when the spout is in closed position as is true of the cover tab in the first embodiment. On one side the cover tab is integral with i'lap lla; on the opposite side it is supported by flap 12a; and on its remaining two sides it is supported by flaps 13a and 14a. The floor S4 of the spout is, of course, attached to the cover tab in the manner above described in respect to the first embodiment.

The method of hingedly connecting the floor of the spout to the ap with which it is integral which was used in connection with the form of this invention shown in Fig. 6, is also used in connection with the present form of this invention. It will be seen in Fig. that a narrow neck 95 connects the oor 84 of the spout to the ap 12a. This narrow strip 95 is provided with a plurality of spaced staggered slits 99 which extend transversely thereof. These slits render the strip 95 expansible to a limited extent. It is by reason of the provision of slits 99 therein that the connection between the oor of the spout, and the tab with which it is integral, is enabled to stretch and to bend without tearing or breaking and thereby to constitute suitable material for a hinging action.

The advantages above outlined with respect to the rst embodiment of this invention are equally applicable to the second embodiment last above described.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the present invention constitutes a substantial advance in a very crowded art, and that it is susceptible of diierent modifications to produce many embodiments other than those herein shown and described, all, however, being within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

A pouring spout for a paper carton having two large and two small flaps on one end thereof, said small flaps lying on a common plane and said larger flaps being superimposed upon said smaller flaps and lying in parallel planes with said smaller flaps, a portion of one of said smaller flaps being partly cut out from said ap and being bent to form a spout having a floor and two side walls, said floor being connected to said iiap by a connecting portion which is integral with both the flap and floor, said connecting portion being scored with parallel lines to permit it to act as a hinge and further being spaced apart from said floor whereby said connecting portion is rendered expansible and contractable so that the spout may be swung pivotally into open or closed position, a four sided opening in each of the two large flaps through which the spout y may be moved into open or closed position, the opening in the outer large flap being greater than the opening in the inner large iiap, extensions on the side walls of said spout, said extensions being cut out from the two larger flaps but being integrally connected to said side walls, said extension comprising stop members which engage the inner of the two larger flaps when the spout is swung into open position, a cover tab for said spout, said tab being a portion of the outer large ap and partly cut out therefrom, said cover tab being aiixed to the floor of the spout and being larger than said floor whereby outwardly extending flanges are formed on said cover tab on three sides thereof, said flanges being engaged by the inner large flap along the edges formed therein when the spout is brought into closed position whereby said cover tabis supported on three sides by the inner large tab.

MAX BORD.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,539,985 Allen June 2, 1925 1,758,230 Lange May 13, 1930 1,940,412 Geist Dec. 19, 1933 2,010,863 Johnson Aug. 13, 1935 2,019,943 Venning et al. Nov. 5, 1935 2,069,281 Sebreny Feb. 2, 1937 2,246,353 Gaedig June 17, 1941 

